Lady Palm

Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) is the palm for the dark corner nothing else will fill. It is a slow clumping fan palm reaching about 2.5m tall and 1.5m wide, with glossy split fans on slim bamboo like canes, and it holds that shape for years. Deep shade indoors, a south facing courtyard, a shaded side strip: these are positions where most plants stretch and thin, and where this palm does well. It is also non toxic to cats and dogs.

Why you'll love it

• It genuinely tolerates shade. Bright indirect light indoors or full shade outdoors both work. Direct hot sun is the one thing it will not accept.
• Pet friendly. Non toxic to cats and dogs, so it is a safe choice for a living room or a courtyard the animals use.
• Slow, which is the point. It stays in scale in a pot for many years, so you are not repotting or replacing it every second season.
• A narrow screen for tight spaces. Clumps widen gradually rather than sprawling, so a row along a 1m wide side path stays workable.

Where it works best

Indoors. One of the best large indoor palms available here. Place it a metre or two back from a window with good ambient light, out of direct sun and away from air conditioning vents.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A 400mm or larger pot suits a single clump. Shaded balconies and enclosed courtyards, where light is limited and wind funnels, are exactly its conditions.

Shaded screening. Plant 1m apart for a screen along a shaded boundary or path, giving a soft layered green wall to about 2.5m.

Growing the Lady Palm in Australia

Position and climate. Shade to part shade, indoors or out, since midday sun scorches the fans. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens outdoors and tolerates light frost only, so in cooler southern and inland regions grow it indoors or in a pot that can shelter over winter.

Soil and potting mix. Free draining and organic. Use a quality potting mix with added compost in containers, improve heavy garden soil with compost, and mulch 50mm deep outdoors.

Water and feed. Keep the mix evenly moist in the warmer months and let the top few centimetres dry between waterings in winter. It is drought tolerant once settled, but a pot that dries out completely will brown the frond tips. Feed with a slow release palm fertiliser in early spring and midsummer.

Pruning. Remove browned fronds at the base with clean secateurs, and thin a crowded clump by cutting whole canes out at ground level. Never top a cane, because it will not reshoot.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in eight sizes. The 200mm pack of six and 250mm pack of three are young multi cane plants and the practical choice for a run of shaded screening, though this palm is slow to build presence. The 300mm, 400mm and 500mm are the usual indoor and courtyard choices, and the 60L, 100L and 200L are mature dense clumps.

Plants are packed upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Give it a fortnight in its final position to adjust to the light level, and expect one or two new fronds a season. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse plants suited to indoors
• See the variegated form
• Compare the full palm range
• Golden Cane Palm for sunnier screening

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

Yes. This is a recognised non toxic species for both, so it suits a household with pets.

How much light does it need indoors?

Bright indirect light is ideal, but it copes with genuinely low light better than almost any other palm. Keep it out of direct sun through glass.

Why are the frond tips going brown?

Usually the mix drying out completely, or salt building up from tap water and fertiliser in a pot. Water more evenly, flush the pot every few months, and trim the tips with scissors.